Peters



UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

N. WYLLYs, or SOUTH GLASTONBURY, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNoR To CHARLESCOLLINS AND NEwELL wYLLYs.

MACIIINE`FOR MAKING LEATHER TUBES.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom, t may concern j Be 1t known that I, NnwELL-VYLLYS, of

South Glastonbury, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,have inventk ed a new-and useful Machine for Manufacturing.Automatically Flexible Tubes for Covering the Drawing-Rollers ofSpinning Machinery and for other Purposes; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of my invention,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification, and in which- Figure l represents a view inperspective of my said machine, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 isa back elevation, Fig. A is an end elevation, and Fig. 5 is a verticaltransverse section of the same at the line a; a' of Fig. 2.

The cots or covers of the rollers of drawing frames have hitherto, asfar as I can ascertain, been manufactured by hand. In this hand processthe leather of which the covers are made is out into pieces of theproper size and of rectangular shape, the edges of the pieces are thenbeveled and cemented together, so as to form a cylindrical tube of asize suitable for covering the barrel of a roller. This system ofmanufact-uring, like other hand processes, is defective as the qualityof the product and the cost of manufacture depend upon the skill of theworkman. The o-bject of my invention is to produce an article of uniformquality by means of automatic machinery, which rreceives the leather orother material in strips, and the cement in bulk, combines t-he two anddelivers them in the form of iinished tubes. In the machine I havedevised for this purpose, the mechanical devices by which the cutting,shaping, bending, and cementing of the leather or other material areeffected are all caused to perform their proper functions in theirproper order by the revolution of a cam shaft to which motion isimparted by any convenient prime mover.

The various operations eifected by the machine are as follows: Firstgripping the extremity of the strip of leather presented to it; secondmeasuring off a piece of the pro-per length to form a tube; third, seiZ`ing the piece measured ofi' fourth severing it from the rest of thestrip by an oblique cut which leaves the edges beveled; {ift-h 8,604,dated December 23, 1851.

applying the cement to its beveled edges; sixth bringing the oppositebeveled edges in Contact with each other; seventh, pressing them with aheated iron to dry the cement and compress the seam; eighth releasingthe tube thus formed and allowing it to drop from the machine, when thelatter commences the construction of another tube.

The frame of the machine consists as represented in the accompanyingdrawings of two east metal end frames A A and of the rails B, B1, B2,B3, which connect them together. The upper rails a, a, of the end framesare also connected by a pair of longitudinal bearers C, C, and the upperfront and back rails B, B are connected byY a f similar pair oftransverses bearers D D at right angles with the first pair C C. The camshaft E which communicates movement to the various acting members of themachine extends from one end of the main frame to the other, itsjournals being suppo-rted in suitable boxes ZJ Z9 on the lower endrails, one of its extremities is fitted with a cog wheel F which gearsinto a pinion F secured to a sleeve Gr. The latter turns upon an axlesecured to the adjacent end plate A and is fitted with a cog wheel F2which gears into a pinion, F3, on a second sleeve 'GQ to which a loosepulley I-I and a fast pulley H are secured, that are put in mot-ion by abelt from the prime mover.

-A pair of guides c c are secured to the upper face of the upper frontrail B at such a distance apart as will admit and guide the strip ofleather of which the tubes are to be made. Immediately behind theseguides is a stationary pair of nippers, by which the leather is heldfirmly while a measured portionl sufiicient toform a cover is severedfrom the strip. This pair of nippers is composed of two jaws the upper(I) being immovably secured to the bearers D D while the lower I ishinged to a cross bar e on which it turns as an axis from and toward theupper. This movable aw is connected by a pair of rods f with a pair ofarms g projected from a short rock shaft -i beneath, whose journals aresupport-ed by vbraclnets J, J, secured to the rail B2 and which iscaused to rock by means of a cam 7.1 on the cam shaft acting through theintervention of a treadle L rod and arm g. The operation of thesedevices being such that as the cam K is turned with the cam shaft E, themovable jaw is alternately depressed and allowed to rise, which lattermovement is effected by a pair of helical springs M M acting upon thearms g g.

In order to prevent the strip of leather fro-1n dropping from themachine when the lower jaw I is depressed, a false jaw or clamp plate I2(Fig. 8) is hinged beneath the stationary jaw I a little in advance ofthe movable jaw; this plate is pressed by a spring M toward the underface of the plate of the stationary jaw with sufficient force to preventthe leather strip from dropping by its weight from the machine when themovable jaw I is depressed.

Immediately opposite the stationary nippers are the movable nippers.These consist of two jaws I3 I4 the upper of which is secured to acarriage N which is caused to slide toward and from the stationarynippers on guides secured to the bearers D D. In order to effect thismovement the carriage is connected by a rod y" (Fig. 7 with an uprightarm 7o which is projected from a short shaft z" beneath, whose journalsare supported by brackets J projected from the hinder rail B3. Thisshaft is also fitted with a pair of arms g1 g2 which extend from it inopposite directions and are connected by rods with treadles L1, L2 eachof which is moved by a separate cam on the cam shaft E. The one cam Kacting on the treadle L moves the arm 7c and the nipper carriageforward, or toward the stationary nippers, the other cam K2 moves thetwo backward or from the stationary nippers.

The upper nipper jaw I3 (Fig. 7,) is fixed to the carriage N while thelower I4 is pivoted to the upper and is pressed toward it by a spring macting on its shank. This spring tends to keep the lower in contact withthe upper and thus to enable the two to seize the extremity of the stripof leather. The lower jaw is moved from the upper by a bar n on whichthe shank of this jaw traverses in moving forward. This bar is supportedin an inclined position by two arms g3 which project from a short shaft2 whose journals turn in hangers secured to the bearer D; this shaft hasa third arm 7c projected from it which is connected with a treadle L3 towhich motion is imparted by a cam K3 on the cam shaft; this cam actingthrough the treadle upon the rock shaft 2 holds the inclined bar n insuch a position, when the carriage is moving forward, that the shank ofthe movable nipper jaw I4 traversing its inclined surface is raised todepress the jaw. When the nipper carriage has reached its most forwardposition the cam passing the shoe on the treadle allows the traverse barn to be depressed by the action of the nipper spring m and consequentlypermits the lower jaw to close.

In order to hold the portion of the leather strip measured out by theaction of the movable nippers, it is secured by means of two clampswhich act in conjunction, the one on its under and the other on itsupper surface. The lower clamp O has the form of a thick plate which ispivoted to the bearers D D at the extremities of its lower edge, it is.moved into an erect position to hold the leather by means of a rod whichconnects it with an arm g5 on the rock shaft z'. The other clampconsists of a strip of metal O wlalose butt p is pivoted to a standard Pon a movable carriage N while its other eX- tremity is passed through astationary guide g secured to the adjacent bearer. The butt p of thisclamp has an arm 1' depending from it which is pressed outward to raisethe clamp, by a spring inserted between it and the adjacent face of thestandard I. The upward movement of the clamp by the action of thisspring is limited by 'the stationary guide g through which it is passed.In order to bring this clamp in a position to act with the lower clampO, and to remove it when its action is completed the carriage N to whichthe clamp standard is secured is constructed to slide on guides securedto the bearers C, C', and is caused to move alternately toward and fromthe bearer D. This alternate movement of the carriage is effected in amanner similar to that of the nipper carriage before described, by meansof two cams K4 K5 which act upon treadles L4, L5, the latter areconnected by rods j4 j with the opposite short arms gu1 g5 of a threearmed or .L shaped lever which is pivoted at the junction of its arms toa bracket J2 secured to the end rail, its longest arm 7c projects upwardand is connected by a rod with the carriage N so that as the treadles L4and L5 are alternately depressed by the revolution of their respectivecams K4 and K5 the upper arm of the three armed lever and the carriageconnected therewith is moved alternately toward and from the adjacentbearer D.

l/Vhen the carriage N is nearest to the bearer t-he upper clamp isdirectly over the lower, but by the action of the clamp spring isseparated a short distance therefrom. In order to press it down towardthe lower a second carrage N2 similar to the first one (N) isconstructed to slide on guides alternately to and from the other bearerD. This carriage is moved by two cams KG K7 which act upon t-readles L6L7 and the latter are connected by rods j j7, only one j7 of which isseen in the drawing, with a three armed lever, whose upper arm lf2-isconnected with the carriage N2 so that as these cams (K K)l alternatelydepress their respective treadles (LG L7) this three armed lever, andthe carriage N2 connected therewith, is moved alternately toward andfrom the adjacent bearer D. This carriage has a standard P secured to itimmediately opposite the clamp standard of the other carriage; and aninclined block s is secured to this standard whose inclined face as thecarriage is moved toward the bearer D passes over and depresses theouter extremity of the clalnp 0 thus forcing it toward the face of theother clamp O beneath.

The inclined'block, s, in passing over the extremity of the movableclamp, tends to force it, and the carriage (N) from which it projects,backward or away from the bearer D. In order to prevent this backwardmovement the carriage (N), when it arrives at its most forward position,is held there by a pair of hooks P, P, which are projected from a rockshaft 8, secured to theJ bearers C, C, and which hold the clamp carriageuntil it is to be moved back ward by the operation of the appropriatecam. The hooks are moved upward to catch upon the hinger extremity ofthe clamp carriage by means of a helical spring 1W 5 which acts upon ashoft arm projected from the rock shaft is; they are depressed torelease the clamp carriage and are retained in their depressed positionsuntil the clamp carriage is again moved forward, by means of a cam KHupon the cam shaft, acting through the intervention of a suitabletreadle LM and rod jlf; the last of which is attached to the outerextremity of one of the hooks.

The portion of the strip which has been measured out by the movablenippers and secured by the clamps is severed from the rest of the stripby a knife. This knife, Q, is secured to a. round bar R which isconstructed to slide in standards secured to the two bearers D and D',its projecting edge lays upon the upper face of the stationary nipperjaw I and is pressed thereon by mea'ns of a weighted arm extending fromthe knife bar R. When the knife is not operating it occupies theposition in which it is represented at Fig. l, at one extremity of thenipper jaws; whence it is moved toward the opposite extremity of thejaws, after which it is returned to its first position. In order toeffect this movement and at the same time to permit the weighted arm 1fto press the knife edge downward, the knife bar is connected by a looseshackle t with the upper arm 7c3 of a three armed lever, which beingpivoted at the center of its arms to a standard J4 on the lower frontrail B2 is moved alternately in opposite directions by means of two camsKS K which act upon the short arms g8 19 of the lever through theintervention of treadles LS L9 and rods js jg so that as the cams K8 andK9 alternately depress their respective treadles, the upper arm of thelever, and the knife bar connected therewith, are moved alternately inopposite directions to move the (T) of these rolls has a pulley usecured to its axle which is encircled by a cord o leading from asimilar pulley u on the cam shaft; so that as the latter revolves, theroll is caused to turn upon its journals. The barrel of this roll dipsinto the cement in the cistern beneath and is grooved to enable it toretain more effectually the cement which adheres to it in revolving. Thebarrel of the other roll (T) bears against thatof the first one (T) itsofhce being to spread the cement equally upon the latter and todetachany superfluity. The sides of the cement cistern extend beyond itsfront to support a shaft 3 to which a pair of arms g1 are secured, thelatter support the journals of a roll (T2) which, by the rocking of theshaft 3, is caused to bear alternately upon the roll T and upon the,adjacent beveled edge of that portion of the strip severed by the knife.In order to eect this rocking or vibration of the shaft 3, it is fittedwith a pinion whose teeth engage with corresponding teeth on the frontarm of a lever 7st,' the latter is pivoted to a standard J5 secured tothe bearer D, and it-s hinder arm is connected by a rod with a treadleL1", which is depressed by a cam K10 on the cam shaft E. The cam acts todepress the lever and to turn the roll forward (or in the directionindicated by the arrow a), by which movement its barrel is brought incontact with the adjacent edge of the strip held by the clamps. The rollis then returned to its first position, or in contact with the cisternroll T, by means of a spring M which acts in opposition to the cam.

The opposite edges of the piece severed from the strip by the knife arebrought into contact with each other by means of two oairs of fingers U,U, the one pair seizing the piece in front and the other pair behind theclamp O O. Each pair consists of two thin prongs fr which tend naturallyto diverge from each other and are secured by their butts to oneextremity of a spindle which is supported in a standard upon the clampcarriage. The opposite extremity of each spindle is fitted with a pinionw, whose teeth engage with those of a rack y, on the upper extremity ofa' rod, whose lower extremity is perforated to traverse upon a bar .ebeneath. Each of these traverse bars in suitable hangers by the adjacentbearers c c. The one, nearer the front of the machine, is fitted with anarm gn that is connected by a rod j with a treadle L beneath, which isdepressed by means of a cam K on the cam shaft; the other rock shaft, iis fitted with a similar arm g1g, which is operated by an appropriatecam K12 and treadle L12. The cams act to depress the traverse bars .z .cwhich when the cams have ceased to act arereturned to their upperpositions by means of springs M2 M2 acting upon appropriate arms gm,secured to the respective rock shafts i5, 6. Whenever the traverse barse z are depressed the racks g/ y are drawn downward, to turn theirspindles and the fingers connected therewith, in the directionsindicated by the arrows in Fig. t, to the positions in which they arethere represented; when the cams have ceased to act the traverse barsare raised by the action of their respective springs, and the racks,being turned in directions the reverse of those indicated by the arrows,are moved to thepositions in which they are drawn in Fig. 3. By thesemovements the pinions on which the racks act, the pinion spindles, andthe pairs of fingers connected therewith, are made to describe, inalternately opposite directions, half circles of which the axes of thepinion spindles are the centers. As the finger spindle standards aresecured to the clamp carriage N, they are caused to move alternatelyfrom and toward the adjacent bearer D. Vhen the carirage is advancingtoward the bearer the fingers occupy the positions in which they arerepresented at Fig. 3, and when the carriage has attained its nearestposition to the bearer the cams K11 K12 act to turn the finger spindles,and consequently the fingers, to the positions in which they arerepresented at Fig. l. By this operation the opposite sides of theportion of the strip severed by the knife, and embraced between' thefingers, Aare turned over and inward toward each other; as the frontpair of fingers U is moved alittle before the other, the opposite edgesof the severed piece are made to overlap each other upon the upper faceof the upper clamp as shown at C Fig. 9.

In ord'er that the fingers (which as before stated naturally divergefrom each other) shall hold the severed piece with sufficient firmnessto enable them to turn-up its edges, the carriage N2 is provided withtwo standards P3 P3 immediately opposite the finger spindle standards onthe clamp carriage N. Each of these secondary standards P3 P3 supports aspindle 7, whose axis is in line with that of the opposite fingerspindle; and each of these secondary spindles 7 is fitted with a pinionw', whose teeth engage with an appropriate rack y, similar in everyrespect to those lw, y, described for actuating the finger spindlepinions, and actuated in the same manner and at the same moment bytraverse bars z secured to the same rock shafts which actuate theopposite finger-spindle racks. These secondary spindles therefore turnsimultaneously with the finger spindles opposite them; each is fitted atits inner extremity with a pair of plates b having a wedge shaped spacebetween them, within which the diverging extremities of the oppositepair of fingers are received as the carriage N2 nears the bearer D;While as this carriage N continues to approach the bearer, the inclinedfaces of the plates b, sliding over the extremities of the fingers,force the latter toward each other with sufficient force to enable themto pinch the severed piece between theln. As the spindles 7 are movedsimultaneously with the finger spindles, they aid the latter in turningthe fingers and the severed piece pinched between them.

The cement, by which the edge of the severed piece is coated by theroller T2, is in a liquid form which requires the aid of heat andpressure to make it set or adhere; these two agents are made to actsimultaneously by means of a pressing iron, F, which is connected by twoequal arms f f with a shaft G whose journals are supported in standards,H, 'on the front rail B. (The pressing iron, F, is hollow; the arms f,f, the journals of the shaft Gr, and the standards, H H, are alsohollow; a current of steam is passed through this hollow pressing iron,F, by connecting with one of the hollow standards, H, a steam pipe whichconducts steam from any convenient or suitable steam generator.) Twoarms 7L, L, are projected from the extremities of the pressing irontoward the back of the machine; these are connected by rods g, g, with across head, I, beneath, which is depressed by means of a cam I 13 on thecam shaft, acting through the intervention of a suitable treadle L13 androd j. The cam acts to depress the pressing iron F upon the overlappingbeveled edges of the severed piece, and to squeeze the latter betweenits face and the adjacent face of the clamp O beneath. This cam is ofsuch form that the pressing iron F is held for some time in contact withthe seam to enable the heat of the pressing iron to dry the cement. Whenthe cam has ceased to act, the pressing iron is elevated to its firstposition, as shown at Fig. l, by means of a pair of springs M3, whichare coiled upon the rods g, g, and act upon the cross head.

In order to manufacture tubes, such for example as the covers of drawingrolls, with this machine the cement, which may consist of a solution ofisinglass in alcohol prepared in the usual manner, is placed in thecistern (S); a current of steam from one convenient source is passed bymeans of a pipe under the cistern and through the hollow pressing iron(F the cam shaft is caused to revolve by means of a driving belt, whichimparts motion to the fast pulley (H) from some convenient drivingshaft, and the cistern roll (T) is caused to revolve by the cord V,which encircles its sheave (u) and a corresponding sheave upon the camshaft. A strip of some suitable material, leather for example, whosebreadth is equal to the length of the tubes to be made, is introducedbetween the lower face of the fixed jaw (I) of the stationary nippers,and the upper face of the clamp plate (12) beneath, which latter isdepressed by the hand of the attendant. As the cam shaft revolves, andthe lower jaw (I) of the stationary nippers is depressed by the actionof its appropriate cam (K), the strip of leather is pushed forward bythe attendant until its end projects about a quarter of an inch beyondthe face of the stationary nipper jaw. As the cam shaft continues torevolve, the movable nippers are moved fo-rward, and, opening as theyadvance by the action of the inclined traverse bar upon the shank of thelower jaw, receive the projecting extremity of the strip of leatherbetweentheir open jaws; as soon as this operation is effected thetraverse bar (nl) is depressed, by the action of its appropriate cam K3,to allow the lower spring jaw of the movable nippers to seize theextremity of the leather strip between it and the upper jaw; the movablenippers are now moved backward by the action of the appropriate cam(K2), and

draw the leather strip with them until the` further backward motion ofthe nipper carriage (N) is arrested by a stop (L), which,I being hingedto the back rail (B) of the frame, and connected by a rod (Z) with thehinder' arm of the traverse bar (n), was depressed within the range ofthe carriage when the traverse bar was depressed.

When the nippers have been stopped at the position which they have nowreached, the portion of leather (B Fig. v9) drawn out from thestationary nippers (and which I shall hereafter call the sheet) is ofjust suiiicient length to form one tubular cover. As the cam shaftcontinues to revolve, the clamp carriage (N) begins to advance by theaction of its appropriate cam (K4), as it advances, the upper clamp ismoved over the upper surface of the sheet measured out by the movablenippers, and the two pairs of diverging fingers (U U), being advancedwith the clamp carriage, the one pair (U) in front and the other pair(U) behind the clamp, embrace the corresponding portions of the leathersheet between their upper and under fingers respectively. Simultaneouslywith this movement of the clamp carriage, the under jaw (1') of thestationary nippers is permitted to rise and clamp the strip of leather,as the cam (K3) by which it was depressed passes the shoe of itsappropriate treadle (L3) and by the same operation the lower clamp (O)is also raised to an erect position. As s'oonas the clamp carriage (N)reaches its most forward position, the hooks, P -P, are permitted torise1 by the movement of their appropriate cam (KM), and hold thecarriage in its place. The carriage is now advanced by the action of itsappropriate cam (KG) as it nears the adjacent bearer (D) the inclinedblock (S) passes over the extremity of the upper clamp (O) and depressesit upon the face of the leather sheet, which being supported beneath bythe lower clamp (O) is firmly held between the two. Simultaneously withthis clamping of the sheet the pairs of converging plates (b ZJ) passingover the diverging extremities ofy their respective pairs of fingers (UU), force the fingers of each pair to approach each other and pinch theportions of the sheet which they have taken in between them. As the camshaft still continues to revolve, the knife (Q) is moved forward by theaction of its appropriate cam (KS), and advancing in an inclinedposition along the faces of the static-nary nipper jaws, severs thesheet from the rest of the strip; as the knife is greatly inclined tothe face of the leather, the cut made by it is at an acute angletherewith, and the edges produced by its action are beveled.Simultaneously with this movement of the knife, the traverse bar beginsto rise, thus opening the jaws of the movable nippers. As this traversebar rises the stop (L), which is connected therewith, is correspondinglyraised, and the nippel' carriage is moved farther backward, by thecontinued action of its appropriate cam (K2), to draw the nipper jawsout of the range of the vibrating cement roll (T 2). The latter, whichhas received a coating of cement by laying in contact with the revolvingcistern roll (T) is now moved forward by the action of itsappropriatecarn (K10), and rolling over the adjacent or hinder edge ofthe sheet of leather, covers it with a thin coating of cement. As thisoperation is being effected upon the hinder edge of the leather sheet,the front rock shaft (i5), which by means of the traverse bars (c z),racks y y, and pinions fw, w, turns the linger spindles 4 it, isdepressed by the action of its appropriate cam to turn inward the frontfingers with the front portion of the sheet inclosed between them. Bythis movement the front edge of the sheet is turned over upon the upperface of the upper clamp O, the sheet being thus bent into the formrepresented at C, Fig. 9. As soon as this operation is effected, thehinder rock shaft G begins to move in. a corresponding manner, thusmoving the hinder pair of fingers, which turn the hinder cemented edgeof the sheet over upon the front edge already laying upon the upperclamp; by this movement the sheet is bent into the form represented at CFig. 9. As now the cam shaft still moves onward, the heated pressingiron F is depressed b'y the action of its appropriate cams K13, upon theoverlapping edges of the sheet beneath, thus compressing the twotogether' and at the same time drying the cement. The leather cover isnow completed, and, as the cam shaft continues to revolve, the knife Q,is moved back by the action of the cam K9 to its first position; and, asthe cement roll cam passes its appropriate treadle shoe, the vibratingVroll is moved back by the spring until its barrel bears against thecistern roll T from which it receives a fresh coating of cement. Thepressing iron cam K13 now passes its appro-- priate treadle shoe, andthe iron is raised by the springs. As the pressing iron rises, the twoclamp carriages N and N2 are moved back to their first position, and thelower clamp O is depressed by the action of the cam K, which alsodepresses the movable jaw I of the stationary nippers. By thesemovements the finished cover, which has the form represented at D, Fig.9, is released, and is permitted to drop into a spout M by which it isdischarged at the back of the machine. As the finished cover drops, themovable nippers are advanced by the action of the cam K to seize thenewly beveled extremity of the leather strip projecting from thestationary nippers, while at the same time the rock shafts 5 and 6 aremoved by the cams K11 and K12 to turn back the two pairs of fingers Uand U', to their first positoins. The several members of the machine arenow in the proper positions to commence the construction of a new cover,which is effected by the repetition of the above described operations.

rlhe several cams rby which the different members of the machine areoperated all effect their proper duties in the formation of a cover,during a single revolution of the cam shaft; hence at every revolutionof the latter, a complete cover is formed; and as the several members ofthe machine perform their duties with mechanical precision all thecovers formed will be symmetrical and uniform.

It is obvious that almost endless modifications may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of the machine hereinbefore describedwithout changing the principle upon which it operates. I have contrivednumerous equivalent and analogous devices for almost every one containedin the machine I have described, and as some of these equivalent devicesmay be deemed by certain constructors better suited to accomplish thedesired result, I will mention such of them as in my opinion are mostlikely to be adopted.

In the above described machine the treadles are all placed beneath thecam shaft and are depressed by the rotation of the cams; thisarrangement of the treadles may in some cases be reversed, and a portionof them may be arranged above the cam shaft and be raised by therotation of the cams. The movable jaw of the stationary nippers may, ifdeemed best, be operated by such a treadle, and may be guided in itsmovement by stationary guide rods which depend from the fixed jaw andpass through suitable perforations or eyes inthe extremities of themovable jaw. In this case the rods upon which Ithe movable jaw issupported, and which will project upward from the treadles or from thecrosshead moved thereby, should be arranged in such manner as to allowthe jaw to rock upon their extremities to accommodate itself tovariations in the thickness of the leather.

The lower jaw of the traveling nippers may have a friction wheel pivotedto its shank, to enable it to move with less friction upon itsappropriate traverse bar; and this traverse bar may be replaced by arising and falling arm, which may be projected from a rock shaft at theback of the machine, and may be raised and lowered by the action of asuitable cam.

The stationary clamp I have described may be replaced by a bar clampfixed to the clamp carriage, so that it is moved beneath the sheet ofleather simultaneously with the movement of the present upper clampabove the sheet. In order to prevent the yielding of this bar clamp tothe pressure of the pressing iron, it may be made to move over fixedrests secured to the transverse bearers of the frame.

In the practical operation of amachine for operating upon heavy leather,a weighted lever may not be sufficient to hold the knife in, its properposition. In such cases I secure an arm to the knife rod and to theextremity of this arm I fit a friction wheel which as the arm moves runsupon an adjustable rail secured to the front rail of the main frame. Byadjusting this traverse rail, I am enabled to force the knife downwardupon the nipper jaws with any required degree of pressure.

In the machine I have described the spindies of the fingers which turnthe edges of the leather. sheet are operated by racks acting upon theadjacent faces of their respective pinions, and these racks areconnected with treadles placed beneath the cam shaft. rIhis arrangementmay 4be reversed, the treadles may be arranged above the cam shaft, andthe racks may be made to act' upon the opposite or outer faces of theirrespective pinions.

In some cases the continued pressure of the pressing iron may bereplaced with advantage by a series of blows struck in quick successionupon the seam, and this hammering motion may be readily imparted to thepressing iron by altering the shape of the cam which depresses it.

In the foregoing description I have stated that the steam is conductedbeneath the cement cistern, this has been found advisable in order tokeep the cement warm and to prepare it for drying rapidly by the actionof the pressing iron. I have also found it advisable to cover thecistern as far as practicable, both to preventevaporation and to keepout dust.

In order to construct drawing roll covers of different dimensions withthis machine its several members may be made adjustable in any of thewell known modes employed in the construction of machinery; parts ofthemachinery I have described may also be employed separate from theothers for the purpbse of preparing the leather for this machine or forother purposes; thus for eX- ample, one of these parts or machines,consisting of two forceps and the knife, may be employed to sever thematerial into sheets or blanks ready for bending and cementing; whileanother, consisting of the clamps, fingers, and cementing apparatus, maybe'employed to receive prepared sheets or blanks and to unite theiredges; the first machine may also be adapted to dividing skins or othermaterial into strips of a suitable breadth for forming tubes, byincreasing the breadth of the forceps and giving a greater stroke to theknife. It is also obvious that the mechanism described may be modifiedto form two or more tubes simultaneously by increasing the dimensions ofthe several parts suiiiciently to admit and act upon two or more stripsof material which are fed to the machine side by side.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my machinery forforming flexible tubes, what I claim as my invention and desire tosecure by Letters Patent isl. The method of formino` tube blanks, orsheets of the proper size and form for tubes, from leather or othersuitable material by means of the movable and stationary nippers andinclined knife or the equivalents thereof operating automaticallysubstantially as herein set forth.

2. I claim the method of forming flexible tubes from prepared sheets orblanks by means of fingers, clamps, and cement, or their equivalentsacting substantially as herein set forth to bring the edges of the sheetinto contact and to unite the same.

3. I claim combining in a single machine the o-perations of forming theleather or other material into blanks, bringing the edges of the sameinto contact, and uniting them, so as to form a tube at a singleoperation substantially as herein set forth.

4. I claim the clamp, by means of which the material is held and uponwhich it is formed into a tube, constructed and operating in such mannerthat it shall, in addition to its movement toward the other clamp, alsohave a longitudinal movement to withdraw from the finished tubesubstantially as described.

5. I claim the combination of the reciprocating diverging fingers withthe reciprocating converging plates or their equivalents by whose actionthe fingers are made to seize the sheet of material substantially asherein set forth.

6. I claim t-he method of coating the edge of the sheet with cement bymeans of a roller or its equivalent which receives the cement andapplies it to the edge to be cemented substantially in the manner andfor the purpose herein set forth.

7. In combination with a clamp or its equivalent for supporting theedges of the sheet of material to be united I claim a reciprocatingpressing iron actuated substantially as herein set forth to press theedges together and to set the cement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

NEIVELL VYLLYS.

lVitnesses P. A. WATsoN, l/VM. D. WASHINGTON.

